Apparatus for surfacing roofing



March 23, 1937. J WETTLAUFER 2,074,445

APPARATUS FOR SURFACING ROOFING Filed July 31, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Quantum M"- P 523252222: 5 a? a! 50 255255552 INVENTOR 7 Ji s Z.%2"7Za1er' ATTOR N EY March 23, 1937. WETTLAUFER 2,074,445

APPARATUS FOR SURFACING ROOFING Filed July 51, 1929 Y s Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR 3 ZQ eSZ- ATTORNEY March 23, 1937. J. L. WETTLAUFER APPARATUSFOR SURFACING ROOFINGv Filed July 31, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedMar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES- APPARATUS FOR SURFACING ROOFING Jules L.Wettlaufer, Belmont, Mass., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to The Patent and Licensing Corporation, Boston,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 31, 1929, SerialNo. 382,534

14 Claims.

This invention relates to surfacing of asphaltic ,prepared roofing, andparticularly to improvements in apparatus for applying comminuted orgranular surfacing material to a roofing base for the production ofroofing elements such as shingles or shingle strips in which thecoloring of the surfacing material on one of the shingles or shinglestrips differs more or less from that on a number of the other shingleelements in the manufacture.

In the roofing industry the demand for ornamental and harmonious coloreffects on the roof has made it necessary to manufacture the roofingelements with surfacing of a number of different colors on various onesof the elements so that when the roof is covered with elements thussurfaced, the desired ornamental appearance will be secured. In thecommercial manufacture of the most prominent type of the so-calledmulticolored roofing, it has hitherto been necessary to manufactureshingles surfaced with one of the desired colors in one run, andseparately manufacture the shingles of the other desired colors inseparate runs, and thereafter to assemble the shingles from the separateruns into packages according to a predetermined plan such that whentheyare taken from the packages and applied on the roof in the usualway, the desired ornamental appearance will be had.

The primary object of my invention is to provide mechanism whereby toeliminate the necessity of manufacturing the shingles of the differentcolors in separate runs with the subsequent necessity of assembling theshingles from the different runs into composite packages or bundlescomposed of the shingles from the various runs.

Another object of the invention is to construct apparatus of thischaracter that will be entirely flexible in practical use and to designthe same in such a way that with any given number of colors to beemployed, a much larger number of completed shingles may be delivered bythe machine with a continually varying sequence in the colors of thesucceeding shingles so that the shingles may be packaged directly asthey are taken from the machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art from the drawings and from the more detaileddescription which is to follow.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus for carrying outthe invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the mechanism,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of one of the hoppers,

Figure 4 is a similar view of the apparatus at one end thereof,

Figure 5 is a detail of the mechanism for actu- 5 ating the releasing ordischarging means associated with the hoppers,

Figure 6' is a detail in perspective of mechanism for properlypositioning the elements to be surfaced immediately prior to theirarrival be- 10 neath the surfacing mechanism,

Figure '7 isa side elevation of modified mechanism for releasing themineral surfacing material from the hoppers and Figure 8 is a partialview in end elevation of 15 the mechanism shown in Figure 7.

The mechanism of my present invention has been particularly designed forsurfacing asphaltic prepared roofing such as the usual form of saturatedfelt coated on a surface or both surfaces thereof, with high meltingpoint blown asphalt within which is partially imbedded a masking layerof comminuted or granular mineral surfacing material, which serves alsoto provide the decorative appearance for the roof. It should beunderstood, however, that the mechanism is capable of use for surfacingother types of roofing where similar ornamental effects are desired,such for example. as asbestos cement shingles or the like.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, I have shown fourseparate hoppers, designated as A, B, C and D, for containing thedifferently colored minerals which are to be used. These hoppers may besupplied either with mineral of one color or they may be partitionedtransversely thereof to provide a number of compartments and each ofthese compartments may be supplied with minerals or mixtures of mineralsof different shades or colors, according to whether the elements are tobe surfaced with a uniform color throughout the lengthwise extentthereof, or whether they are to be surfaced with a plurality ofdifferently colored bands running transversely and extending for uniformor different transverse widths thereof. These hoppers will generally beof sufficient length to provide a stream which will completely oover theusual form of strip shingles, these ordinarily being a maximum of 36" inlength. Where individual shingles are manufactured with hoppers of thislength, it will be necessary only to confine the mineral in the severalhoppers to different portions thereof such that it will be dischargeddirectly upon and cover the shingles to be surfaced.

The hoppers are supported on suitable framework IO. \At a convenientdistance below the lower ends of the hoppers I provide an endlesshorizontal conveyor Ii, such as'an endless belt or chain driven by apulley l2 mounted upon a shaft l3, the latter being journalled insuitable bearings at one end of the framework, and the conveyor beltpassing around another pulley at a 0 substantial distance from theopposite end of the supporting framework. The pulley I2 may be driven bya bevelled gear l4 meshing with a drive pinion i5, carried by a shaft I6which may be rotated from any convenient source of power.

In the-embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, each of the hoppers has fixedupon one of its end faces, and near the lower end thereof, verticallyspaced bearing brackets 20, 2|, for supporting and guiding a verticallysliding rod 22 actuated and functioning in a manner to be more fullydescribed hereinafter. The brackets 2| of the several hoppers arestaggered laterally one to another for a purpose as will presentlyappear. Fixed upon each of the rods 22, intermediate the brackets is acollar 22a, and helical springs 22b are mounted on the rods and confinedbetween the collars 22a and the brackets 2|, these springs normallytending to urge the rods downwardly. An arm 23 connected at its outerend with a mineral collecting and discharging pan 24' is swingablysupported from each. lower bearing bracket 20. The vertically slidingrods 22 at their lower ends carry an inverted U-shaped or bifurcatedbracket 25, the depending legs of which are perforated to providebearings for an idle shaft or pintle pin 26 carrying a small wheel 21.

The lower end of the hoppers in this embodiment are formed with' anopening of suitable dimension to provide a continual flow of themineral' therefrom, or this lower end of the hoppers may be providedwith a feed roll spaced from the walls of the hopper to enable themineral to be discharged therefrom in a continual flow. In either case,the pans 24 are arranged to be positioned beneath the discharge openingsof the hoppers during certain intervals of time to. receive the mineraltherefrom and thereafter to be moved to a position for discharging themineral collected in the pans onto the face of the shingle 50 element tobe surfaced. This swinging movement of the pans, under the verticalsliding movement of the rods 22 is effected through link 28 pivotallyconnected to the bracket 25 and also to the arm 23 adjacent the upperend thereof.

' Provision is made on the conveyor belt I I, which supports and carriesthe shingle elements to be surfaced beneath the hoppers, to actuate therods 22 for vertical movement and thereby control the movement of thepans 24. According to the embodiment of the invention as shown on thedrawings, this actuating means on the belt comprises a series of lugs30; 3|, 32, 33, spaced at regular intervals longitudinally of the beltand extending for a distance longitudinally thereof corresponding to thetransverse dimension of the shingle elements to be surfaced. Thus, asillustrated in Figure 2, wherein I have shown for purposes ofillustration, the usual form of square-butt strip 7 shingle, these lugsare of a length corresponding substantially to the butt portion of theshingle strips, namely, the transverse distance between the butt edgethereof and the upper ends of the slots in the strips defining theshingle-simulating 75 tabs thereof. These lugs are of sufficient heightto protrude upwardly of the belt during its passage beneath the hoppersfor a suflicient dis-' tance to elevate one or more of the wheels 21,and thus move the rods 22 upwardly against the force of the springs 22b,and thereby swing the pans 24 to the discharging position. In order tovary the length of these actuating lugs, they are each made up of anumber of lug elements individually secured as by means of spring clips34 to perforations 35 formed along one margin of the conveyor belt.,These perforations in the belt extend not only longitudinally thereof,but also transversely, so as to provide a plurality of rows ofperforations whereby the lugs may be positioned in various ones of theserows and in staggering relationship transversely of the belt, whereby toactuate the rods 22 of the several hoppers in predetermined order orsequence. Thus, the lugs secured in one longitudinal alignment along thebelt may be positioned in vertical alignment with the wheel'2'l on oneor more of the hoppers, so as to actuate the discharge pans of thesehoppers, and to have no effect upon the discharge'pans of the otherhoppers, and similarly, the lugs in the other rows may be staggered atpredetermined intervals, such that the lugs in the several longitudinalrows may actuate the wheel or wheels 21 that are in vertical alignmenttherewith, at regular or irregular intervals of time, predeterminedaccording to the sequence in which the colors are to be deposited on thesuccessive elements. In Figure 2 I have shown only a small section ofthe perforations 35, for the sake of clearness, but it will beunderstood that these extend in the several rows, as shown throughoutthe length of the belt.

The shingle elements maybe supplied to the belt in any convenientway,.and in order to position them properly so that the desired areasthereof will receive the granular material from the hoppers uponactuation of the releasing means therefore by the corresponding lugs,transverse stop bars or rods 31 are secured to the belt at regularlyspaced intervals with the forward longitudinal edge of each bar intransverse alignment with the rear end edge of each successive lug30-33. In order to cause the successive roofing elements supported onthe belt and lying thereon in the spaces between successive stop bars31, to be properly positioned against these stop bars so as to receivethe mineral released from the hoppers as already described, I providemechanism comprising a shaft 40 supported in bearings at the outer endsof braces 4| extending from the rear face of the leading hopper of theseries. .This' shaft has secured thereon, arms 42, 42a and anintermediate m l 42b adjacent the arm 42a. A rod 43 carrying spacedbrushes or similar elements 44, is fixed between the arm 42 and theintermediate arm 42b, the latter as well as the. arm 42a, extendingdownwardly below the shaft for a substantial distance correspondingapproximately to the height of the brushes 44 and provided with openingsforming bearings for an idle roller 45. This idle rolleris of suflicientlength to be actuated by the lugs in all the longitudinal rows. As theleading edge of a shingle or shingle strip lying between adjacent stopbars 31, comes in contact with the brushes 44, the latter will engagesaid edge of the shingle and cause the shingle to be brought intocontacting'engagement with the forward edge of the succeeding stop bar.Inasmuch as the idle roller 45 will rise up and travel over each of thelugs 30 to 33, in every longitudinal row of lugs, the. brushes 44 willthereby be elevated above the surface of each shingle, and preventedfrom contact with theasphalt coated areas thereof for, as will beunderstood, each of the lugs extends for a distance lengthwise of thebelt correspondingto the transverse coated areas of the shingles,

In Figures 7 and 8 I have shown a modified arrangement for dischargingthe mineral from 10 the granules upon the desired areas of the shinglesor shingle strips. According to these figures, the hoppers as forexample A--l, are provided with a rotatable feed roll 50 at their loweropen ends, the surface of this roll being substantially in contact atall times with the .wall 5| of the hopper. The opposite wall 52 of thehopper has its lower edge 53 spaced a considerable distance from thesurface of the roll, this space being adapted to beopened and closed bya reciprocating gate 54 extending across this face of the hopper andcarrying upwardly extending rods 55 slidable within bearings 56 and 51secured to the face of the hopper by suitable brackets. A retainingcollar 58 is secured to the :5 rod 55 above the bearing 51, and ahelical spring 59 is confined between this retaining collar and thelower face of the bearing 56, the spring normally tending to force thegates 54 downwardly so that the lower edge 66 thereof is in contact withthe surface of the feed roller 50, thereby preventing the fiow ofmineral from the hopper. In order to actuate the gates 54 to mineralre-f leasing position in synchronism with the movement of the beltcarrying the shingle strips, I :55 provide each of, the hoppers with alift wheel 6| similar to the wheels 21 and actuated by lugs on the beltin the manner already described. In the form shown in Figures 7 and 8,the wheels 6| are carried by arms 62 secured to a square shaft 63extending laterally of the hoppers for a considerable distance andhaving their inner ends rounded to be accommodated within bearings 64formed near the outer ends of the bracket plate 65 fixed at the lowerends of the hoppers. An elongated crank arm 66 is fixed at its upper endupon the shaft 63 so as to rotate therewith, this crank arm having acentrally elongated closed end slot 61, the side edges of the slot beingserrated as indicated. This serrated slot is adapted to accommodate asimilarly serrated knuckle or bolt 68 formed at the lower free end of alink 69, the upper end of which is in pivotal connection as at I0, withone arm of a bell-crank lever II, the other arm 12 of which freelyengages an arcuate opening 13 formed in the rear face of the gate 54.The operation of the release mechanism as shown in Figures '7. and 8,will be clear to those skilled in the art. As will be understood, whenthe wheel 6| comes into contact with and is raised by one of the lugs onthe belt, the arm 62 will be caused to move slightly in an upwardclockwise direction to rotate the shaft 63 and the crank arm 66. Throughthe connecting link 69 the bell crank lever II will similarly rotate ina clockwise direction and thus cause the gates 54 to move upwardly andaway from the surface of the feed roller 50 against the forceof thesprings 59, thereby permitting the mineral to be discharged from thehoppers during the time that the wheels 6| ride upon the actuating lugs.Upward movement of the gates 54 serves to compress the helical spring59, when the wheel 6| has cleared the co-operating lug, the spring 59will assume normal position and thereby force the gates 54 into contactwith the surface of the associated feed roller 50. and likewise restorethe wheel 6| to normal position in readiness to be actuated by thesucceeding lug in the same longitudinal alignment on the belt. Byadjusting the position of the knuckle or bolt 68 within the serratedslot 61, the angle of throw of thebell crank lever Il, may be adjustedto provide for controlling the quantity of mineral discharged from thehoppers during each individual actuation of the gates 54 to openposition. The positiming of the wheels 6| of the several hoppers,

to actuate the release mechanism for the hoppers.

my invention, it should be understood that numerous changes ormodifications may be made therein, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

13. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules, a carrier forconveying roofing elements to be surfaced in succession beneath saidhoppers, means on the carrier for positioning the elements atpredetermined spaced intervals thereon means for discharging thegranules from said hoppers, and independent means controlled by themovement of the carrier to actuate said discharge means at predeterminedintervals whereby the successive elements will be covered with granulesdischarged from predetermined ones of said hoppers. and means forpartially embedding the granules thus discharged in the surface of theroofing elements.

2. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules, a carrier forconveying roofing elements to be surfaced in succession beneath saidhoppers, means on the carrier for positioning the elements atpredetermined spaced intervals thereon means for discharging thegranules from said hoppers, and independent means controlled by themovement of the carrier to actuate said discharge means at predeterminedintervals whereby the succes sive elements will be covered with granulesdischarged from predetermined ones of said hoppers, said actuating meansbeing operable to discharge said granules from the hoppers during aportion of the travel of said roofing elements beneath the predeterminedhopper discharging g r a n 111 e s thereon, and means for partiallyembedding the granules thus discharged in the surface of the roofingelements.

3. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules, a carrier forconveying roofing elements to be surfaced in succession beneath saidhoppers, means on the carrier for positioning the elements atpredetermined spaced intervals thereon means .for discharging thegranules from said hoppers and means on said carrier to actuate 'saiddischarge means independently and at predetermined intervals, and meansfor partially embedding the granules thus discharged in the surface ofthe roofing elements.

5 4. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineralgranules, a carrier for conveyingroofing elements to be surfaced in succession beneath said hoppers,means onthe carrier for positioning the elements at predetermined spacedintervals thereon means for discharging the granules from saidhoppers,said carrier having means thereon for independently actuating saiddischarge means intermittently and at predetermined intervals, and meansfor partially embedding the granules thus discharged in the surface ofthe roofing elements.

5. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality oi'hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules, a carrier forconveying roofing elements to be surfaced in succession beneath saidhoppers, means on the carrier for positioning the elements atpredetermined spaced intervals thereon means for discharging thegranules from said hoppers, said carrier having means thereon forindependently actuating said discharge means intermittently and atpredetermined variable intervals, and means for partially embedding thegranules thus discharged in the surface of the roofing elements.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a plurality ofhoppers for maintaining separate supplies of differently colored mineralgranules, a carrier for conveying roofing elements to be surfaced insuccession beneath said hoppers, means for discharging the granules fromsaid hoppers, and means on said carrier to ac- 40 tuate said dischargemeans, said actuating means being adjustable on the carrier whereby toactuate said discharge means at predetermined variable intervals- '7.Apparatus for applying comminuted surfac- 4!! ing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules, said hoppers havingindependently actuable discharge means, a conveyor for progressivelymoving roofing elements to be surfaced beneath said hoppers,

means on the conveyor for positioning the elements at predeterminedspaced intervals thereon and mechanism on said conveyor for actuatingsaid discharge means at predetermined intervals, and means for partiallyembedding the granules thus discharged in the surface of the roofingelements.

8. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules, said hoppers havingindependentlyactuable discharge means, a conveyor for progressivelymoving roofing elements to be surfaced beneath said hoppers, means onthe conveyor for positioning the elements at predetermined spacedintervals thereon and actuating members on said conveyor at regularlyspaced intervals longitudinally thereof and.

in predetermined staggered positions transversely of said conveyor foractuating said discharge means, the actuating members in the samelongitudinal alignment being adaptedto actuate the discharge means forone of said hoppers, and means for partially embedding the granules thusdischarged in the surface of the roofing elements.

9. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coated roofingcomprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separate supplies ofdifferently colored mineral granules, said hoppers having dischargemeans to release the granules therefrom, a conveyor for progressivelymoving roofing elements in succession beneath said hoppers, means on theconveyor for positioning the elements at predetermined spaced intervalsthereon and means on the conveyor for independently actuating saiddischarge means whereby to, discharge mineral from said hoppers ontopredetermined ones of said elements in synchronism with the movement ofthe elements, and means for partially embedding the granules thusdischarged in the surface of the roofing elements.

10. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a plurality ofhoppers for maintaining separate supplies of differently colored mineralgranules, said hoppers having discharge means to release the granulestherefrom, a conveyor for progressively moving roofing elements insuccession beneath said hoppers, and a series of Iongitudinal rows ofspaced actuating members on the conveyor for actuating selected ones ofsaid discharge means at predetermined intervals.

11. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a plurality ofhoppers for maintaining separate supplies of differently colored mineralgranules, said hoppers having discharge means to release the granulestherefrom, a conveyor for progressively moving roofing elements insuccession beneath said hoppers, and a series of longitudinal rows ofspaced actuating members on the conveyor, the actuating members of eachlongitudinal row being adapted to actuate the discharge means of one ofsaidhoppers at pre-- determined spaced intervals.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality ofhoppers for maintaining separate supplies of differently colored mineralgranules, said hoppers having discharge means to release the granulestherefrom, a conveyor for progressively moving roofing elements insuccession beneath said hoppers, a series of longitudinal rows of spacedactuating members on the conveyor, all of said members in onelongitudinal row being adapted to actuate the discharge means of one ofsaid hoppers at predetermined variable intervals independently of theactuation of the discharge means of the other hoppers by the actuatingmembers in the other of said rows.

13. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of diiferently colored mineral granules, means for conveying aseries of shingles beneath said hoppers, means on said conveying meansfor positioning the elements at predetermined spaced intervals thereonand means operable to release the granules in definite timed relation tothe positioning of the shingles on the conveying means whereby torelease the granules from one of said hoppers while one of said shinglespasses thereunder, and to release the granules from another of saidhoppers while another shingle of the series passes under the last namedhopper, and means for partially embedding the granules thus dischargedin the surface of the roofing elements.

14. Apparatus for applying comminuted surfacing to asphalt coatedroofing, comprising a plurality of hoppers for maintaining separatesupplies of differently colored mineral granules. means for conveying aseries of shingles beneath shingles and to release the granules fromanother of said hoppers and deposit the same upon another shingle of theseries, and means for partially embedding the granules thus dischargedin the surface of the roofing elements.

JULES L. WETTLAUFER.

